For you, maybe
by Dakuburinga
Summary: The tale of Lord Joseph Cousland and Alistair Theirin in their quest to stop the Blight. Generic story is generic.
1. For you, maybe

_**Disclaimer:** All Dragon Age:Origins characters, scenarios, locations, and dialog belongs to EA and/Bioware and are in no way mine._

_**Author's Note:** Yes it's one of those cookie cutter Fan Fictions about such-and-such's PC in Dragon Age: Origins. Hopefully, however, you'll be refreshed with a story about M!Cousland. I understand the first bit's rather short, it wasn't really meant to go farther at first. Funny how stories do that to you, eh?_

* * *

Memories. They flashed in the darkness, some vivid, some blurred. A room of blue stone and dark shelves that emanated strongly of grain, lard, and oddly enough, copper. He was running, ducking into a secret passage as he saw the figures of his parents, the floor below them being painted red by some unseen brush. He remembered the anger he felt, the guilt...and as fast as the memory had come, it was gone again. Replacing it was a slightly fonder memory. He was in the wilds, along two other recruits, as Duncan had told him, and a Grey Warden who went by the name of Alistair. Alistair was recounting a joke he had heard in the chantry, which apparently didn't appeal to the other two, who smiled kindly to their technical superior. He remembered laughing. His initial impression of the would-be Templar had indeed not been a favorable one, teasing mages and responding with caked on sarcasm. Though the more he spent with Alistair, the more he found he enjoyed the man's company and was slightly amused at how similar they were. Alistair was just about to tell another, frustrated that he only got one laugh out of his comrades, when the war cry of the Darkspawn filled the air. As he drew his weapon, the image faded into nothingness. More images, flashes, and soon one stuck. The tower, the giant Darkspawn, the fear he felt. Not simply for his own safety, but for those he traveled with as well. He didn't remember much in the end. Running, yelling, slashing, the splash of warm, fowl smelling blood. He remembered feeling anger, watching as the armies marched away, only to turn and be struck by something hard. He fell, and all was dark again. The flashing memories stopped, and instead there was a singular, great beast. It's body dark, hidden, but the silhouette loomed. All he could see was the maw of the beast, illuminated by the monster's glowing eyes. Rows of teeth opened wide and it's head slithered forward, stopping just over a huddled dark mass. In the glow of it's eyes as it dove in for the kill, he saw them. His parents, Duncan, and his comrades who died, eaten alive in an instant by the beast. Their faces painted with terror as the image burned itself into his mind. Joseph's eyes darted open, spread wide as if it would allow him to see easier. He was screaming.

"Joseph! Joseph are you alright?" came a voice, one he was familiar with. It took him a moment before he was able to focus. It was then he saw the figure of a square-jawed man hovering over him. Blond hair barely visible in the firelight, and brown...maybe amber, Joseph didn't know, he didn't pay much attention, eyes blinking down at him worriedly. "Joseph, answer me! You were screaming, are you alright?"  
Joseph sat up finally, nodding and realized his body shook with fear still. "Yea...I'm fine, Alistair."  
He looked towards Morrigan's tent, the Wilds Witch that had come with them after he and Alistair had set out from the swamps from her mother's cabin where they awoke. She seemed unperturbed, not a noise came from her abode. This made Joseph sigh, he had half hoped...  
Though Alistair didn't seem convinced, reverting to his usual sarcasm.

"Oh yes, I forgot. Screaming and rolling around is a normal nightly ritual. How could I have been so dense!" He said with a slight smirk

Joseph rolled his eyes, running a hand through his black hair. "Right," he retorted "I don't know why you don't go about screaming in your sleep. You weirdo."

Alistair took a seat, brushing dirt off his knees, perhaps simply something to do and look busy "Yes, I'm the weird one." he chuckles, looking around at the witch's tent before leaning in closer "It's the nightmares, right?"

Joseph nodded, answering without thinking "Yeah, I..." He stopped, blinking and looking at the ex-templar "...How did you know?"

Alistair smirked again, looking proud of himself for a moment "I told you before, everyone gets them. It's part of the taint. Something about us being able to tap into their 'group mind' as Duncan called it." He sat, staring off into the wilderness where they had camped, getting that far away look in his eyes he usually got when the two talked about their late commander. It had only been a few days since the battle where the Grey Wardens and the King had been betrayed. Joseph reached up and patted the young man on his shoulder, offering a soft smile, though he didn't seem to be able to stop himself from shaking. Alistair looked back towards him and looked him over curiously "Look, you sure you're alright?"

Joseph chuckled, trying to sound over the dream. "Yea. I'm fine." But when Alistair got up to head back to his tent, before he could open his mouth to say something, Joseph blurted out. "But, can I ask you something...odd?"

Alistair blinked, lowering himself again "Um, well I suppose. You're not going to ask me to dance the Remigold are you?" his attempt at humor made Joseph smile a little.

"I was, this is going to sound...really weird. But I was wondering if, you'd sleep...near, me?" He blinked, not sure why he had even asked that question.

Alistair seemed equally, if not more, thrown off and raised an eyebrow "Huh...not what I was expecting. Well, I...what?"

Joseph reached behind his head, scratching the back of it and looking around again, the awkward creeping up on him. "I wanted to know if you could, stay here with me, and stuff. You know, just to have someone nearby and such. I dunno, it's weird, like I said. I'm not even sure why I asked it. I just don't like the thought of being alone at...the moment," He sighed. 'Great', he thought, 'I sound like I'm after Alistair's britches or something'. He quickly waved a hand and tried to salvage the situation. He didn't want to loose the only friend he had over a misunderstanding, or worse yet, create a whole mess of awkward conversation henceforth. "Never mind, forget I said anything. Was a silly thought anywho. Uhm...good night, Alistair." Joseph turned, pulling his bedroll cover over him and looking at the makeshift wall of the tent. Alistair stood, looking at him funny while blush danced across his cheeks and made his way back over to his own tent. When he got to his knees to slip back onto his bedroll, he gazed back at his fellow warden's tent and sighed to himself. He remembered when he first started having the dreams, the terror. Maybe he was over reacting and it wasn't at all what he perceived it to be and was, in fact, an innocent request of companionship.  
Still staring at the wall, or what would have to pass for a wall in the flimsy cover he had made for himself, Joseph was trying very hard not to fall asleep again. He was afraid of slipping into those dreams again. The last thing he wanted to see were those memories, again. He was about to get up and take a walk, swim, something other than sleep, when he saw the tent shift and he heard movement behind him. He reached slowly for his sword while turning his head ever so slowly to see just what had invaded. He almost did a double take when he saw the blond settling down not far from him, making himself comfortable and laying facing opposite of his comrade. Joseph let loose of the sword in his hand, turning back to the wall and smiling to himself. He was about to slip off to sleep, comfortable with the company, until...

"Don't expect me to cuddle." He could almost hear the smirk playing across the templar's lips.

"Let me guess, I have to get you a pretty dress first?"

"And dinner, perhaps." This got a chuckle from both of them. Joseph closed his eyes, succumbing to slumber that called to him.


	2. Swooping is bad

_**Disclaimer:** All Dragon Age:Origins characters, scenarios, locations, and dialog belongs to EA and/Bioware and are in no way mine._

_**Author's Note: **Now, it was my intention to name these chapters after something Alistair had said in-game, but at the same time still have something to do with the story at hand. And perhaps I break the story up too much, but my attention span only goes so far. Hope you like it!  
_

* * *

That morning, Joseph awoke to discover that Alistair was not at all a still sleeper. He wrinkled his nose at the way his friend had managed to get himself into a spread eagle position, laying half his body against Joseph's and his head on his own bedroll, drool trickling down into a pool already in the making. Joe chuckled, reaching over to tap Alistair on the forehead curiously. It was a curious thing, he had never been so close to anyone that he would calmly poke them awake if they had ended up in a situation like this. But the bond he seemed to have formed with Alistair happened over such a short period of time. Joseph supposed this was because of the fighting and the constant vigil for each other's safety, as well as their own. He was brought back from his trailing thought by a smack to his hand. Alistair apparently believed Joseph's prodding finger to be some sort of insect, swatting at it and mumbling incoherently to himself. Joseph laughed and instead moved to smacking the side of Alistair's face

"Hey! Get up sleepy head, you're making my arm numb."

"Mmnuh? Wha?" Alistair turned his head with a scowl, idly wondering who had the gull to slap him awake. With a rub to his eyelids, he stared blearily at Joseph, who was trying to sit up "Why did you have to go and wake me up for? I was dreaming...something wonderful." Joseph pointed at the other half of the templar's body that was sprawled over him as if someone had laid him there. Following his friend's direction he saw, he stared for a moment, and then he seemed to come to realize just what the situation was. Alistair immediately rolled over and onto his knees, apologizing in extremely fast speech that only made Joseph laugh. Joseph shook his head when Alistair donned an angry expression at being laughed at and tried to alleviate his worries.

"It's alright Alistair, not bothered in the least. Besides, we haven't got time to fret. We have to get going, treaties to run and such, you know?"

"Right!" exclaimed the templar, hurrying to his tent to equip himself while Joseph packed his things away and don his armor as well. The road to Lothering wasn't a very long one, but the back and forth of Alistair and Morrigan was making the trip feel like it was taking hours. Joseph turned back to look at the two, bickering about something or other, and noticed that Morrigan had managed to make Alistair blush, yet again. Joseph was beginning to think Alistair blushed quite a bit, for any number of reasons. And for whatever reason, the witch seemed to enjoy making him do so. She would only ever end the conversation or become satisfied until he did, or Joseph told them to quit. He figured he'd have his fun with Alistair though, smirking as he ordered Morrigan to walk ahead of them along with the Mabari warhound, whom Joseph had taken to calling "Dog" since his younger days. He couldn't remember when he got Dog, but he did remember him always being there. He hung back with Alistair while Morrigan took the lead as commanded, eliciting a sigh of relief from the warden.

"Thanks for that..." Alistair mumbled. He was shuffling his feet, looking rather glum after that last bought with Morrigan.

"Yea, you two go at it way too much, had to separate you for a while." He gave his friend a glance, then turned his attention forward again "Not a bad view though."

Alistair gave him a puzzling look "The landscape? It's nothing but fields."

Joseph chuckled and held his hands in front of his face, closing one eye and sparing a moment to focus on what he was referring to. "The land, and little miss bad attitude up there."

"You can't be serious..."

"You mean to tell me you don't think Morrigan's attractive?" Joe asked in near disbelief. She was indeed attractive, an exotic beauty. Joseph had no qualms at all with her current wardrobe, it displayed her body wonderfully. The curves of her hips and the legs that seemed to go on forever to him. She made no attempt to cover her bust, which he guessed was to keep men in her good graces. Dark hair put up in a bun and smirking voluptuous lips, but her eyes were what intrigued him the most, though he would never admit it. There was something about them, the way they twitched when she looked at something with scrutiny and how, even though she displayed a cruel demeanor, he thought he could see a hint of remorse in those amber pupils...or perhaps amusement. Either way, they made his heart skip a beat when she laid her gaze upon him and that's all he cared about for now.

"No, not at all! She's vile, cruel, and I don't trust her!" Alistair was quick to insult her and make known his dislike.

"Alright, think for a moment that you AREN'T blinded by morals and really look at her. You can't tell me she doesn't catch your eye at all? If she were a complete stranger in a village, you would not turn your head?"

"I, well..." the templar tilted his head and the trademark blush shown in the sunlight "..I suppose she is attractive."

"You see? Was that so hard?" Joseph teased

"Does that mean you'll be trying to court her then?"

It was Joseph's turn to blush, turning away from Morrigan to look at Alistair pointedly "No! Well, maybe. She doesn't seem to care much about my existence at the moment." Alistair was about to respond with his own advice when Morrigan spoke up ahead, pointing at the bridge. Joseph and Alistair sprinted forward, the former glad for the distraction. She was motioning lazily towards the structure now, apparently bored have having to inform anyone.

"Lothering is just over that bridge." She said airily, crossing her arms and looking at Joseph. He was busying himself with staring at the bridge, anything but look at her while Alistair was suspicious of his intentions, however right the templar may be. He spotted a group of men in front of what looked like a barricade. 'Guards?', he wondered as he motioned for the two to follow as he stepped forward. Alistair was only too happy to follow. Unfamiliar with responsibility most of his life, after Joseph started making suggestions in the swamp, Alistair quickly agreed to anything and made Joseph a sort of involuntary leader. Morrigan didn't seem to care either way.

"Wake up lads! There's business to attend to!" exclaimed a man in blueish leathers who gave the group a cheery smile as the three approached. "I'm afraid you'll have to pay a toll to cross into Lothering. Ten silver a person."

"Boss, thems don't look like the others. Maybe we should let them pass?" mumbled a larger man behind the supposed "leader"

"Nonsense! The toll is for everyone!" The man held out his hand expectantly. "Come on now, pay."

Alistair had leaned forward to whisper in Joseph's ear "Highwaymen...trying to make a profit off refugees I'd bet."

Morrigan scoffed, waving her hand about lazily as she regarded the men in front of them and didn't bother to hide the volume of her voice "These men are fools to stand in our way. They should be taught a lesson."

Joseph smirked, rather liking the idea and coming up with his own. He pulled his blade from it's holster on his back, sticking the point in the stone and resting his wrist on the pommel "I don't think we'll be paying today guys."

The leader, who was a good head shorter than Joseph, shook his head and reached slowly for his weapons "Can't say I'm pleased to hear that..." he gave the group a cunning smirk "..But rules are rules! Boys?"

Before the rest of the bandits could reach for their weapons, Joseph rolled his eyes and regarded the bandit "Come now, do you really think intimidating Grey Wardens is a good idea?"

"Grey Warden? Them whos killed the king?" exclaimed the fat one, looking a bit worried at his leader

"Grey Warden eh? The Teyrn put quite a bounty on your heads." His grinned widened

"But aren't they good?" the fat one interjected again "Like, real good? Good enough to kill a king?"

This gave the leader a cause for guard, releasing the grip he had on his weapons "You have a point. On second thought, we'll forget the toll. You just carry on with your Darkspawn-fighting, king-killing ways."

Joseph looked about the barricade the bandits had created and his smirk twitched into a grin. He waved his hand towards the leader "You know, the Grey Wardens could use a donation."

"Is that so?" He looked like he was about to refuse, but seemed to think better of it and smiled his plastic, business like smile. "How does twenty silvers sound? That's all we've collected today."

"That's all?" Joseph inquired, looking disappointed "Surely you could do better."

The leader scowled and went for his weapons for a second time "Screw it, get 'em!" He had barely given the command when two of his comrades had been sent soaring through the air and off the bridge. Joseph suspected that was Morrigan's doing but didn't stop to ask. He stepped back, taking his blade with him in a more-intricate-than-necessary twirl, bringing the butt of the handle into the leader's face with a fair bit of force. A crack was heard as the man's neck snapped backwards. Only after he collapsed on the stone, lifeless, did Joseph turn around to see Alistair and Morrigan already going through the chests, the rest of the bandits apparently dealt with swiftly. After they had collected everything they could find from the criminals, moving the bodies off the bridge and into the brush after Alistair had insisted they move them out of the way of newcomers, the three stood on the steps overlooking Lothering.

"So!" exclaimed Joseph, stretching his arms to the sky as he turned to the other two. Alistair looked slightly displeased, brow furrowed in thought while Morrigan wore her usual bored expression "What do we do next?"

Alistair seemed to perk up at this, holding up a hand "Actually, I've been thinking..."

"Finally decided to rejoin us, have you? Falling over on your sword in grief seemed like too much trouble, I take it?" Morrigan teased, her violet lips turning into a smirk.

Alistair scoffed "Is my being upset so hard to understand! Have you ever lost anyone dear to you? What would you do if your mother died!"

"Before or after I stopped laughing?"

"Right, very creepy. Forget I asked." He gave her a disgusted look while Joseph couldn't help but chuckle "Anyway, I think the suggestion Flemeth made is the best idea. Those treaties, have you looked at them?"

Joseph stilled, blinking in silence for a few seconds before reaching around to his pack "Oh right, those. No, I haven't."

Alistair managed a smirk "We have three treaties, the Dwarves of Orzammar, the Dalish Elves of Brecilian Forest, and the Circle of Magi. They will be obligated to give us aid during the Blight, and Arl Eamon, I think, is the best source of aid."

Joseph nodded as he took all this in, not bothering to ask Morrigan her advice, partly afraid of what it might be and thrust his fist into the air, causing the other two to raise an eyebrow and gaze at him questioningly.

"We have our heading! I say we stay in Lothering for the time being, collect ourselves, set a course, resupply and what not. Onward!" He marched down the stairs, stopping only to look at the two with his fists on his hips "Well come on then!" Alistair shrugged and followed obediently, whilst Morrigan sighed and made her way down slowly

"I have no intentions of tailing after you two while we are here. I will be in the tavern once we are ready to leave." She said smoothly, turning on heel almost immediately and heading off into the town.

"Remind me why you fancy her again?" Alistair asked with crossed arms and a skeptical look at Joseph.

The noble watched after her for a moment before scratching his chin in mock interest "You know, I'm not sure anymore. I'll think of something though." He grinned, patting the templar on the shoulder, who seemed happier than before. "Come on, let's see what trouble we can't get into here." The two set off into the village, heading towards the local Chantry. Joseph had some questions about these rumors the bandits had spoke of. If they held any grain of truth, they were in for a troubled journey.


	3. He's not mangy!

_**Disclaimer:** All Dragon Age:Origins characters, scenarios, locations, and dialog belongs to EA and/Bioware and are in no way mine._

_**Author's Note:** We learn a little more about our two wardens here, though most of you reading probably already know the story behind them. I tried to put a little extra personality behind Joseph, not too noble-ish even though he is one of the famed Couslands, and you'll find out why this is later. Enjoy!  
_

* * *

He had learned a little about Lothering in his studies back in Highever, and from what he could remember it was not a particularly vibrant village, but it had a sort of dull, quiet feel to it. The Lothering Joseph had stopped to gawk at could be described with one word. Miserable. People lined the streets and various open spaces wherever he looked, dressed in rags and covered in more filth than he could have thought possible. He thought there would be refugees after the battle of Ostagar, but the amount in town was stiffling. A few stared as he, Alistair, and Dog walked by, even more looked at his Mabari hungrily. At one turn, he could have sworn he had seen an elf roasting a large spider on a make shift spit whilst waiting under a wooden crate propped up for shelter.

"Maker's breath..." exclaimed Alistair as he leaned towards Joseph, speaking in a more hushed tone "...So many refugees, how does the Chantry support them all?"

"I don't suppose it does at all, Alistair. There's just too many." Said Joseph, frowning at what looked like a merchant arguing with a Sister of the Chantry. Joseph wanted to get to the Chantry as soon as possible and see if the disturbing rumors the bandits had spouted were true. The issue had been gnawing at the back of his mind like a dog on a bone, and he was sure that if he was this uneasy about it, there's no telling how upset Alistair was. If they could just hear something reassuring in the Chantry, it would make their next steps much easier.

The Chantry looked liked the most grand building in the village, surrounded by Templars in their shining armor and members of the cloth walking about and looking busy. No one stopped them from going up the stairs or through the large doors of the Chantry, though Dog stayed outside at the request of the guards. The inside of the building looked slightly more grand. Clean walls, well kept scrolls and books, brightly lit with what he would guess as a thousand candles. The two wardens made their way up the hall to a templar surrounded by villagers complaining about the bandits Joseph and the other's just dealt with. He was older than they, near the age Duncan had been by Joseph's guess, with long brown and gray hair and a sunken face.

"Enough, enough! We will get to the problem as soon as possible! Please have patience, we are doing the best we can about these bandits." The Templar looked frustrated as the people continued to protest. Joseph saw this as an opportunity to step in and save the day. He took a large step towards the mob and cleared his throat, which caused a few of them to turn around.

"Excuse me, but, about those bandits...?" He smirked, sure that he about to sound clever until the Templar moaned and rubbed the bridge of his nose

"By Andraste! Another one? How many complaints are we going to get before the day is done!"

"One less..." Joseph grinned even wider as the Templar "The bandits are dead." He crossed his arms over his chest, looking smug as the Templar gawked. He expected them to lavish him with praise, or in the very least offer him money. The villagers however just looked at him funny while the Templar seemed to gain his composure.

"Killed them have you?"

"It's true!" came a voice that made them all turn. Another Templar had come up from the back and stopped next to the other "I saw it with my own eyes. The bandits attacked, and were killed before we could even start

moving to help them." This made Joseph's grin grow wide again. The crowd of angry villagers dispersed quietly, Alistair giving them sad glances as they shuffled past.

"Killed them. I'm sorry it had to come to that, but I suppose it can not be helped," sighed the elder Templar "You have our thanks. I am Ser Bryant, would you like the reward for taking care of those bandits?"

Joseph shook his head, seeing Alistair grin out of the corner of his eye "No reward necessary. We're Grey Wardens, it's kind of what we do."

"Grey Wardens? You know that Teryn Loghain declared all Grey Wardens traitors to the King, I hope?"

Joseph drooped at this, hoping that by some miracle, the rumor had been fabricated by the bandits "So that rumor is real is it? Loghain was the one who betrayed the king and the Grey Wardens, not the other way around."

Bryant eyed the two and nodded his head "I believe the Grey Wardens would not be so careless or malicious as the Teryn claims, but regardless, you may not want to linger."

Alistair groaned in defeat, but Joseph had an idea "Actually, I was wondering if there was anything we could do for the town? It looks like it could use a little pick-me-up."

The Templar nodded again and scratched his chin as he looked them over "Of course there's always something to do. Tell you what, you take a look at the Chantry board and see what you can do. There's always some odd job or two posted there, some of which the Chantry will pay you for. You take care of those, and I will spread the good name of the Wardens here in the village."

Joseph and Alistair grinned in unison, the former clapping his hands together "We'll get right on that! It was nice speaking with you Ser Bryant!"

"And you...erm..." Ser Bryant furrowed his brow as if trying to remember their names, but Joseph cut him off

"I am Joseph, ser." He said with a bow

"And I am Alistair." Alistair followed suit and the two rose in unison. The Templar bowed his head once more in respect.

"It is good to see brothers fighting together these days." He said simply. Joseph and Alistair gave each other a puzzled look and back at Bryant

"I beg your pardon? We aren't related..." Said Joseph

"Oh? My apologies then. You do look remarkably similar. Now, I must be on my way, duty calls." With another bow, he turned on the spot and strode further into the Chantry, leaving the two wardens looking at each other with curious glances, trying to see if what the Templar said had any truth to it. They soon shrugged it off, however, and made their way to the Chantry board Bryant had mentioned, Dog once again bounding at their heels. Bryant had not been joking then he said there were always things to do, the Chantry board was piled high with tasks, several of which Joseph gladly yanked away after discussing it with Alistair. Once they decided they had all the jobs they could handle, the three of them headed out towards the fields and abandoned farms. They passed a rather large man in a cage who was mumbling to himself. Though Joseph was curious, he wanted to get the bulk of these jobs finished before nightfall, or afternoon, if it was possible. They spent many hours fighting various bandits in the fields, spiders on the hills, and had even found the corpse of the woman meeting the description on the board. Alistair had suggested burying her, to which Joseph pointed out they had no shovels. The two had settled for simply closing her eyes and saying a few words in what prayers they knew. Soon they found themselves aside the river among the bodies of the largest bears Joseph had ever seen. He set to work skinning the beasts, thinking the Chantry could use the pelts for coats or blankets while Alistair knelt next to the water, cleaning his blade and armor. After he had been satisfied with his work, Joseph laid his skins over one of the bear corpses and made his way down to the river to join his comrade and clean his gear. Alistair was staring forlornly across the river, idly scratching in the mud with a stick he found. Joseph watched him for a little while before settling down on the bank and working on cleaning off his armor. Many moments had passed until his gear was cleaned and Alistair had not made a sound or moved from his spot. Joseph thought now was as good a time to say something as any. "Alistair..."

This seemed to bring the ex-templar out of whatever deep thought he had been in, shaking his head slightly and looking over at Joseph "Yes?"

Joseph sighed, resting an arm on his knee "Do you want to talk, about Duncan?"

Alistair shifted, looking away again "You don't have to do that. I know you didn't know him as long as I did."

"That doesn't mean I don't mourn his loss." Said Joseph firmly, making Alistair glance over at him "You've been awfully quiet at times, and it makes me worry."

Alistair nodded, his eyes traveling back to the river once more. He rolled the stick he had been holding and tossed it in the river "I'm sorry. It's just, I don't know...Duncan warned me this could happen right from the beginning, you know? Any one of us could die in battle. I shouldn't have lost it, not when so much is riding on us with the Blight and everything."

"There's no need to apologize, Alistair. He was like a father to you, I understand." said Joseph softly, hoping that maybe it would help comfort his friend.

Alistair shook his head and laughed sarcastically "I feel like I abandoned him..." Joseph thought he could see Alistair's eyes water, filling with tears. the warden simply rubbed his eyes casually and kept talking "Like...I should have been there with him on the battlefield. Maybe I could have changed something."

Joseph shook his head "No Alistair, you shouldn't think like that. If you were on that field, you would have died next to him. In a way, it was Duncan who saved us, sending us up the tower."

Alistair sighed "I know. I'd like to have a proper funeral for him, when this is all over. Maybe a monument in his honor. I think he said he was from Highever, though I'm not sure if he had any family to speak of." Alistair turned his attention back to Joseph, who was smiling slightly, trying to be helpful "Have you ever had anyone close to you die?"

Joseph went rigid, staring at Alistair blankly. It was the first anyone had really asked about his family since the night it happened, and the first time he had actually stopped to think about it since he had started the tests to become a Grey Warden. He turned his gaze to the river, watching the water flow. He found it oddly comforting and wondered if that was why Alistair had stared at it for so long without a word. Joseph cleared his throat and tried to sound as collected as possible "My entire family was murdered recently, except my brother, who may also be dead for all I know."

"Murdered!" Alistair shook his head "I...I'm sorry, I didn't know. Who did it?"

"Arl Howe, a friend of my father's for...Maker knows how long. He took advantage of our lack of forces when my brother left with the troops early. Not even my brother's wife or young child were spared. I would not have made it out myself, had Duncan not have been there..." He swallowed the lump in his throat that had risen when he spoke of the deed, and of Duncan himself. It had just hit Joseph how much he owed the man, and how grateful he was to him. He had been risen from his thought when he felt Alistair's heavy hand on his shoulder.

"They are going to pay, Joseph." He said, squeezing his friend's shoulder "Loghain and Howe, they'll get what's coming to them for what they did to us."

Joseph smiled at this, not at the thought of revenge, but that Alistair had decided to share in his righteous anger for the loss of his family. He supposed that for what Duncan had done for him, he lost more family than he realized that night at Ostagar and decided to share Alistair's anger towards Loghain as well. He stood, brushing his chain mail off out of habit more than anything. "Well, we best be going..." he started to say, but when he saw his reflection in the river he snapped his fingers "Alistair, come stand next to me would you?" Curious, Alistair made his way over and stood next to Joseph, giving him a raise of an eyebrow.

"What's this about?"

Joseph pointed at the river, astonished by what he saw. "Look." He was pointing at their reflections, side by side. Alistair had short, dirty blonde hair, golden eyes, and a little stubble on his chin, while Joseph had black hair, vibrantly royal blue eyes, and a line of thin facial hair that crept along his jaw line, like it was outlining his face. Though their differences aside, Joseph realized that the two of them looked almost identical.  
Their jaws sat the same way, their chins and noses were the same. Ears, eye shape, and even the size of their necks were similar. Alistair might have been broader at the shoulder by a slight margin, but Joseph thought that may have been because Al was wearing heavier armor than he.

"Maker's breath..." exclaimed Alistair, rubbing his chin "No wonder he thought we were brothers...that's odd."

Joseph nodded in agreement, suddenly looking at his comrade with suspicion. He turned towards the dead bears, starting to walk up to them. "So..." He started, hatching a brilliant plan. He was sure he wasn't adopted, but as far as he knew, he did not know of his mother's or father's past 'exploits'. "You said Arl Eamon raised you?"

"Did I say that?" Said Alistair, blushing and hurrying to help with the pelts "I meant dogs raised me! Giant, slobbering dogs from the Anderfels. A whole pack of them in fact."

Joseph laughed aloud, deciding to play along for at least a little while. Alistair was always good for a chuckle it seemed. "Really? That must have been hard for them." he said, tossing half of the skins over his shoulder "Well, they were flying dogs, you see," chuckled Alistair, waving his hand about like it was common knowledge. "Surprisingly strict parents, too, and devout Andrastians to boot."

"That is what they say about Anders." said Joseph as he rolled his eyes. Alistair seemed to pick up on this and chuckled again before continuing "Lets see, how do I explain this? I'm a bastard. And before you make any smart comments," he added quickly, becoming accustomed to Joseph's sharp tongue "I mean the fatherless kind. My mother was a serving girl in Redcliffe Castle who died when I was very young. Arl Eamon wasn't my father, but he took me in anyhow and put a roof over my head. He was good to me, and he didn't have to be. I respect the man and don't blame him anymore for sending me off to the Chantry once I was old enough."

Joseph raised an eyebrow "Why did he send you to the Chantry?"

"Arl Eamon eventually married a young woman from Orlais. The new arlessa resented the rumors which pegged me as his bastard." Alistair said, shifting his pelts to the other shoulder. "They weren't true, but of course they existed. The arl didn't care, but she did. So off I was packed to the nearest monastery at age ten. Just as well. The arlessa made sure the castle wasn't a home to me by that point. She despised me."

"What an awful thing to do to a child." said Joseph, shaking his head in legitimate disappointment. Though Alistair didn't seem to care much.

"The arl came by the monastery a few times to see how I was, but I was stubborn. I hated it there and blamed him for everything... and eventually he just stopped coming. I had an amulet with Andraste's holy symbol on it. It was the only thing I had of my mother's. I was so furious at being sent away I tore it off and threw it at the wall and it shattered." He shook his head. "Stupid, stupid thing to do."

Joseph felt the sudden urge to defend Alistair's actions in an attempt to make him feel better "You were young."

Alistair chuckled at that "And raised by dogs! Or I may have well been, the way I acted. Anyway, that's all there really is to tell. Why do you ask?"

Joseph shrugged, quickly looking forward "Just curious." Which was a lie. He was wondering if Alistair had known his true parents, though it would seem he didn't. The gears began to turn in his mind, wondering when his father, of all people, had an affair with a maid, if at all. Could it be possible that he and Alistair were related?

"All I know is that the arl is a good man" Alistair continued, shifting the skins once more,"And well-loved by the people. He also was King Cailan's uncle, so he has a personal motivation to see Loghain pay for what he did."

When they neared the village, they caught the eye of a Chantry Sister walking along with a Templar. When Joseph had offered the skins to the Sister, he could have sworn she was about to explode with thanks. He tried to tell her that he didn't need any sort of payment for he wished to donate them, but she insisted and gave him a small bag of silver coins. Joseph and Alistair waved goodbye to the joyful Sister and the disgruntled Templar, who was now laden with fresh bear hides. As the two wardens and the mabari made their way back into Lothering to reap the benefits of their deeds, Joseph stopped to stare at the man in the cage he had seen before, whom he realized was mumbling something he didn't understand. Joe made a detour, heading straight for the cage which caused Alistair to sigh, but he followed anyway with a look of curiosity on his face. As they approached the man opened his eyes and stared, or maybe glared, Joseph could never remember, down at them. He was dark skinned, darker than any Joseph had seen before, with a forehead that jutted out over his eyes slightly, giving him a cave-mannish look. He had white hair tied to his scalp in a way Joseph had seen on many warriors back in Highever. Joseph nearly jumped when the man spoke suddenly in a voice that reminded him of an angry bear.

"You aren't one of my captors," he said "I will not amuse you any more than I have the other humans. Leave me in peace."

"So you're a prisoner then?" asked Joseph, stepping closer.

"I am in a cage, am I not?" replied the man, crossing his arms.

"Technically speaking, you are in a cage, yes." said Joseph, crossing his own arms and laying them on the railing of the large window that was on the front of the 'prison'. It was large, at least three feet by two, if not bigger. "Trapped in a cage? I'd say not. This big hole is a design flaw for a crime deterrent device." This got a chuckle out of Alistair behind him, but the man merely stared with a stony gaze. Joseph took a step back at this "Who put you here? And why?"

"I've been placed here by the Chantry. I am Sten of the Beresaad - the vanguard - of the qunari peoples." Sten paused for a moment, narrowing his eyes slightly "I have been convicted of murder."

Qunari! Joseph was suddenly glad he took a step back when he did, lest he make Sten angry and loose his face to his fist. "And are you guilty?" he asked in mild curiosity

Sten groaned out of frustration, but answered the question anyway "Are you asking if I feel guilt, or if I am responsible for the deed? However I feel, whatever I've done, my life is forfeit now."

"Aren't you interested in atonement?"

"Death will be my atonement. I'd prefer to die in battle, but my decision has been made for me."

Joseph scratched his chin, the gears turning once more "Call me Joseph, I am looking for recruits to help me stop the Blight."

Alistair did a double take, looking at Joseph in shock. Sten merely raised an eyebrow "You are a Grey Warden then?" He frowned when both Joseph and Alistair nodded "Surprising. My people have heard legends of the Grey Wardens' strength and skill... though I suppose not every legend is true."

Joseph smirked, deciding to ignore what he thought was meant to be a subtle insult "Would the revered mother release you to me?"

Sten shrugged, looking off to the stone bridge nearby "Perhaps if you told her the Grey Wardens need my assistance. It seems as likely to bring my death as waiting here."

Joseph did his best at a salute, or what he thought was a salute, eliciting another odd look from the Qunari "I'm on my way to the Chantry then! Be back soon!" He gave Sten a smirk and motioned for Alistair to follow.

Upon reaching the Chantry, Alistair grabbed for Joseph's arm and frowned.

"Are you sure this is such a good idea? Enlisting a murderer?" he asked, sounding a bit worried.

Joseph shrugged, knocking on the double doors to the temple "Why not? We need all the help we can get. And he's Qunari, his word is about as solid as a signed treaty."

"Oh, well, I suppose you're right." said Alistair as they entered the building. They made their way passed the brothers and sisters mumbling the various prayers of the Chantry. One right turn at the end of the hall revealed yet another large wooden door, decorated in the holy symbols of Andraste and an angelic looking knocker. Joseph, compelled to follow silent instructions, knocked on this door as well, turning only to try and steady a fidgety blonde warden.

"You may come in." came the voice of the Revered Mother, clear as mountain spring water. When the wardens entered her 'office', Joseph was in awe at how plain it seemed to be compared to the rest of the temple. It was a small room, with yellow walls and only a desk, chair, and cabinet for furniture. The candelabras on the walls were the only source of light in the room, giving it an odd sort of homey feel. The Revered Mother herself looked wizened, much older than Joseph had ever remembered his mother being. Her silver hair hung about her shoulders, encasing the wrinkled features of her face in a sort of elderly, yet beautiful frame. She reminded Joseph of a tree, old, yes, but something to be respected for it's ability to survive so long and pass it's seeds of wisdom onto the next generation. She smiled kindly and folded her hands in her lap "Care to give unto the Chantry a donation?" Joseph immediately reached into his pocket and pulled out five gold sovereigns, handing them to the Revered Mother who brightened in her smile considerably. "Maker bless you, child. How may I help you?"

"Oh, um...right." Joseph mumbled, nearly falling over himself after Alistair gave him a playfully firm shove, silently mocking him for being the one that ended up stumbling. Joseph gave his friend a glare before turning back to the Mother. "I wanted to talk to you about the Qunari, Sten. I was wondering if you could release him?"

The Revered Mother's smile almost vanished completely as she stood and walked around the room. Or, glided rather, Joseph noted how she looked rather light on her feet for one so high in years. "You want me to release the murderer? Why? So he can make me, or you even, his next victim?"

"Oh, I just thought he'd be helpful..." Joseph said quietly. He felt rather like a child being punished for a naughty prank. "Just what did he do exactly, if I'm allowed to know?"

"If you must know..." She took a deep breath, once again sitting in the chair at the desk "...A farmer found the Qunari in question horribly wounded and near death. He took him in and nursed him back to health. In repayment for this deed, the Qunari murdered the farmer, and his family. Wife, children, farm hands, everyone. When the guards got to what remained of the house, they found him standing in plain sight, surrounded by the corpses of his victims. He confessed immediately, not even trying to hide what he did." She looked at the wardens with a heavy sigh "Still want him?"

Joseph could only stare as he processed Sten's crime. He could hear Alistair gulp and shift uncomfortably behind him. After a while, he nodded "As vulgar as his claim sounds, we need any able bodied hands we can get. He can use this as a form of atonement. If we succeed, he has been redeemed. If...we fail, then let it be his death sentence."

The Revered Mother furrowed her brow as she looked between the two "Just what are you talking about?"

"Oh, right. We're Grey Wardens." said Joseph blankly

"Grey Wardens? By Andraste...fine, take him. But begone from here. If you stay too long, you will draw unwanted attention. Here is his key," She held out an old, rusted iron key for Joseph, who took it promptly with a bow. "Maker watch over you."

Joseph and Alistair wasted no time leaving, no need to stay where one was not wanted. But as they neared the exit of the Chantry, Alistair grabbed Joseph's arm and spun him around, much to Joseph's surprise.

Alistair's face was more worried than before, with a hint of anger "What in Andraste's name has got into your head? We can't take him! He's a murderer!"

Joe sighed, rubbing the back of his head nervously "Yea, I know, but I already gave the guy my word. We will get him to swear fealty to us, he will be honor bound to do as we see fit, this includes NOT killing innocents. Besides, we will be watching him. If he tries any funny business, you and I can take him out, no problem! Right?"

Alistair shook his head, running a plated hand through his hair and apparently catching a snag and wincing when a tuft of hair was pulled out "I do not know if this is such a good idea, Joseph."

"So you would have me go back on my word then?" asked Joseph, crossing his arms.

The ex-templar looked at him for a moment then shook his head "No. You are right. I just hope you know what you're doing."

"You and me both..." said Joseph with a scoff. He smirked, patting Alistair on the shoulder "At least he will distract Morrigan for a while, eh?"

Alistair grinned at this, heading towards the door with Joseph close behind. The shocked look on Sten's face made Joseph nearly burst into laughter, it took all his strength not to snort, much less hide his grin as he dangled the key in front of the Qunari. "I must admit," Sten started,"I did not expect her to actually give you the key."

"So, if I let you out of here, I have your word that you will not kill anyone or anything, unless I deem it worth killing? That you will aid us in the destruction of the Blight and the protection of me and my comrades?" asked Joseph, thinking he was being clever and not leaving any loopholes.

Sten nodded solemnly and scowled back at them "On my honor, you have my word Grey Warden."

Satisfied with this answer and believing he had firmly locked in Sten's loyalty, Joseph quickly unlocked the cage and flung the door open wide, along with his arms "Fly Sten! Be free! But not too far now, got Darkspawn to fight." Sten stepped from the cage and merely scowled at the warden indifferently, causing him to flinch and lay his arms down at his sides "Too early for jokes?" No response. "Right..." Joseph turned back towards the village and headed for the direction of the nearest armor shop. "Let's get you fitted Sten, can't have you fighting Darkspawn in naught but your skin." Sten followed, of course, silently and still wearing the scowl.

Alistair walked next to him, casting nervous glances towards Sten every few seconds. Disregarding the tales of Sten's...exploits...Joseph felt good about what he had done, and looked forward what the future held.


	4. Is that death you're wearing?

_**Disclaimer:** All Dragon Age:Origins characters, scenarios, locations, and dialog belongs to EA and/Bioware and are in no way mine._

_**Author's Note:** If you think maybe Joseph is falling for Morrigan a little too fast, you'd be right. And that's why he's so confused. This installment was a tad bit rushed, and I'm sorry if that shows in the writing.  
_

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It had taken them nearly half the day to search for armor for Sten. In the end they had been unsuccessful in finding anything that could fit the behemoth, let alone a weapon to fight with. Joseph did find some metal plates laying around behind a few of the shops and resolved to have the local blacksmith put a few holes in them. Soon Sten was wearing two bits of metal tied to his body with rope. However frustrated the qunari looked mirrored how proud Joseph was for thinking of the idea. The warden then handed Sten the only weapon he managed to find; A long dagger. Sten stared at his new weapon with disdain, but took it without question. It was all Alistair could do to stop himself from laughing for fear his head would soon be soup for the poor folk. Satisfied, for the most part, with Sten's attire, Joseph decided it was time to find Morrigan and leave. "Where did she say she was going again?" asked Joseph after an hour of looking for her in the miserable village.

Alistair only shrugged and looked about lazily. "No idea, just said she wasn't going to run around with our lot. Too bad to, I just love her company."

Joseph chuckled and headed for the last place to be checked aside from the Chantry, though he hardly expected to find her there of all places. The tavern door looked so out of place in Lothering. It was new, or looked new anyway, with a stained finish and a fine metal handle on it's front. Even the building around it looked like it was made from garbage in comparison. He carefully opened the door as if it were a relic that would crumble if handled to harshly and they stepped inside the tavern. Joseph wanted to look around for Morrigan immediately but was distracted by the soldiers converging on him and his companions.

"Loghain's men...this can't be good." whispered Alistair

"Well look here, men!" said one of the soldiers who looked like he might be the commander "I think we've just been blessed."

"Didn't we spend all morning asking for a pair of men by these descriptions and everyone told us they hadn't seen them?" piped up another next to the previous one.

The commander frowned "It seems we were lied to."

Joseph stared at the soldier's dimly for a moment and before he could open his mouth to respond, a silken voice came from the crowd "Gentlemen, surely there is no need for trouble. These are no doubt simply more poor souls seeking refuge." The voice belonged to a Chantry Sister with firey red hair and a pleasant smile who had now placed herself between them.

"Stay out of this, Sister" barked the leader "If you protect these traitors you'll get the same as them!"

Joseph took a step forward with his hand out "Come now, let's talk about this before things get out of hand."

"I doubt he would listen," piped the Sister "He blindly follows his master's commands."

"I am not the blind one!" roared the commander again "I was there at Ostagar, Teryn Loghain pulled us out of the trap the treacherous Grey Wardens had laid for our king!"

It was Alistair's turn to step forward to defend the Wardens, clearly infuriated at the dirtying of the Grey Warden name. "The Grey Wardens did not betray the King! Loghain did!"

The commander growled and withdrew his sword "Enough talk. Take the Wardens into custody, kill the sister and anyone else who gets in your way." The rest of the soldier's followed suit as they took in his orders, drawing their weapons and stepping forward. It all happened so fast then that Joseph could barely recall what occurred. Two of the soldiers had suddenly been incased in ice as he moved forward to the commander, placing his boot in the man's chest and kicking with all the strength he had and sending him through a table. He unsheathed his Great sword and charged forward and noticed to his right that Alistair had taken on two of the soldiers himself, dispatching one easily with a few blows of his shield. Joseph leapt onto the commander's chest before he had time to get up, pressing the blade of his weapon against his neck "Enough! I surrender! WE surrender!"

Joseph removed himself from the commander, resheathing his sword and looking around. The two soldiers had begun to melt out of their casings and the rest seemed alive, if bloody. Sten hadn't moved from his spot, glaring down at his dagger. Alistair and the Chantry Sister made their way back over to Joseph, Alistair panting from excitement. From the corner of his eye he could see Morrigan making her way down the stairs and it suddenly became clear to him that she had incased the two soldiers from before, he'd have to thank her later. The commander stood defeated in front of his bloodied soldiers and spat on the ground at their feet "Do not think that because you have won here that we will stop hunting you. You Grey Wardens will pay for the murder of the king!"

Joseph was the one who lost his temper then, stepping forward and grabbing the commander's neck in one hand. It was surprisingly small, weak, he could feel the man's muscles strain under his armored hand. Joseph squeezed as he growled his next words "I want you to take a message to your false king. Tell him the Grey Wardens know what really happened at the battle of Ostagar. Got it?" All he got from the commander was a rapid nod and he dropped him, watching as he and his soldiers scurried out of the bar.

"I am glad you found it in your heart to show them mercy, warden." said the Sister from behind him, causing Joseph to jump though he did not know why.

"Oh, um, thanks for what you tried to do sister." He held out his hand "Joseph Cousland, it's a pleasure to meet you."

The Sister took it and shook gladly "I am Leliana, one of the lay sisters of the chantry here in Lothering. Or I was," Her grin widened after dropping the handshake "I know that you Grey Wardens will be needing help fighting the Blight, no? That is why I am coming with you."

Joseph's and Alistair's faces mimicked each other in the form of a raised eyebrow while Morrigan rolled her eyes. Joseph rubbed the back of his neck nervously, looking Leliana up and down "Um, I don't know if a clergy sister would be well suited to, ah..." While he searched for the right words Leliana had already drawn weapons from under her robes and held them out, pommel first.

"Not all of us sisters were born into it, Warden." she said with a grin, Joseph let loose a whistle

"Point taken. Why are you so eager to join us though?"

"The Maker told me to."

Joseph smirked, taking this as humor "So the Maker's on my side then? Welcome aboard!" his chuckle was stopped short when her face brightened into one of hope instead of laughter.

"You believe me then?" She asked softly. Joseph could only open and close his mouth like some dumbstruck fish "Oh, I knew the Maker had sent a true dream! A vision, that by serving you, I serve His holy plan."

"More crazy? I thought we were all full up." chuckled Alistair

"Right..." Joseph laughed uneasily "This is where I start backing away, slowly"

The look she gave him after that almost made Joseph change his mind, almost. She sighed and hung her head "I know it sounds crazy, but it's true!"

The warden nodded, backing into the rest of his group with a nervous smile "Well, I'm sorry to say, Leliana, that we don't...actually, need you. We need to, um, be on our way."

"Will you at least think about it?" she called after them as Joseph tried to hurry his companions out the door

"Yea! Sure! Thinking right now! Bye!" He called, shutting the door behind him and breathing a heavy sigh of relief.

After reaching the edge of Lothering, Alistair smirked and turned on Joseph "A little extreme in your reaction to her, don't you think Joe?"

He rolled his eyes "Alistair, she's one Archdemon short of a Blight."

Alistair nodded, his grin getting wider "Yes, but she seems more 'OH! Pretty colors!' than 'Muhahahaha! I am Princess Stabbity! Stab! Kill! Kill!'" Joseph laughed aloud with his friend, clapping him on the shoulder. Once the humor had died down, he shook his head.

"I guess maybe I judged too fast, but it's too late now. We need to get going. Time is not our friend, and I doubt the Archdemon is going to take a vacation any time soon."

Alistair nodded in agreement, though his smirk was still present as the five of them made their way into the fields. Not long after that he caught the sight of at least two dozen villagers standing around on the path leading outside Lothering. Some carried torches, the others had farm equipment and just about all of them looked like they would rather be somewhere else. As the five of them approached, one farmer clutching a pitch fork spoke up.

"There they are!" his yell caused the rest of the villagers to turn around and converge, their nervous looks turned to angry, desperate ones. "We heard what they've been saying about you folks. You're Grey Wardens, no doubt about it." He swallowed hard. "I don't know if you killed King Cailan and - Maker forgive me - I don't care. But that bounty on your head could feed a lot of hungry bellies. Please...do not resist."

Joseph rolled his eyes at yet another group of people trying to 'arrest' him. "Don't be so stupid, of course we intend to resist. Just give us a moment alright?" This seemed to stun them enough to actually listen to what he told them to do, they didn't move from the spot even when Joseph turned his back to address his companions. "So, the plan..." he started in a whisper

"I say kill them, they wish to fight for their home, then fight they shall." said Morrigan airily and Sten nodded in approval but Alistair was shaking his head.

"They're just desperate, and barely armed."

Joseph nodded at this, gathering a frown from Morrigan and a bark from Dog. "Alright, so stun them, knock them out. Put them to sleep with magic, just don't kill them." He reached around and unhooked his blade, holding it out for Sten "Here, give me the dagger. You look silly with that thing." Though his face hadn't changed, the speed at which he exchanged the weapons told Joseph that he had been more than happy to take the great sword from him. Joe flipped the dagger easily in his hand and looked at his comrades "So, everyone know the plan?" Everyone nodded in unison, Morrigan scoffed while she did so. Joseph stood and turned around to face the villagers, holding his dagger aloft "Now, we're prepared to resist you."

"Attack!" screamed the farmer and the entire mob charged the group, brandishing their weapons with empty stomachs. Joseph felt pity for them and quickly ducked the first swing, bringing the ringleader down with a heavy clothesline and moving on to the next. Like a flash of deja vu, two more men were incased in ice on either side of him, letting him focus on the one in front of him. One well aimed fist to the face and the man was on the ground, clutching his nose. Joseph turned around to see a two men fly over his head and Alistair ducking to the side and ramming a man in the gut with his shoulder. "Sten! Be careful!"

"They will live." His voice was so deep he did not need to shout for Joseph to hear him over the commotion.

It was not long before every villager that was present was either incapacitated or preoccupied with injuries. These villagers, in their desperation, had shown more bravery than most men in the armies of Ferelden ever had, as far as Joseph knew. If only times weren't as bad as they were, he might have tried to conscript them. He knew as they were walking away that he'd likely never see them again. The horde was marching north to Lothering, everyone in this place would die in a night or two. They continued forward with a silence that said more in it than what it didn't. This was for real, it was time to save the world.

They had not been five minutes from where the villagers had attempted an ambush did Joseph catch a glimpse of the firey red hair of Leliana. He just noticed how beautiful she actually was, standing there in her chantry robes. It had a sense of simplicity about it and it intrigued him. She caught sight of them as well it seemed, she was waving at them and sprinting towards them. "Why, hello again! Have you changed your mind? Can I come with you?" She asked, her face bright with hope.

Joseph rubbed the back of his neck, searching for the words to say in a sort of apology. He was only too happy when Alistair put in his two cents. "She seems earnest in her desire to help. I vote to let her join us!"

Joseph chuckled, nodding and holding his hand out for her "Yes, welcome Leliana. I'm sorry about before."

Leliana grinned even more brightly if it was even possible, grasping his hand in both of her's and nearly jumping up and down in joy "Think nothing of it! I am used to it. I will not let you down in this, you can trust me!" She immediately turned and ran behind a large stone pillar, extracting a pack that was filled with Maker only knew what. She was expecting them. Joseph couldn't help but laugh at this, looking back at Alistair who looked very proud of himself.

Nothing could have told Joseph that they would be stopped for a third time on their way out of Lothering. This time by Darkspawn that were terrorizing a pair of dwarves. Sten had been the first to charge in, killing the beasts with only two swings of the great sword. The dwarves stared up at him, one looking rather shocked and the other with a goofy smile on his face. After a short exchange of words Joseph learned that they were father and son, and at the very least the father was a merchant. He offered a discount in his wares if he and his son could travel with them for protection. Joseph readily agreed, much to Morrigan's chagrin. She called it "adding baggage".

They continued onwards in mostly silence, only broken by Leliana's occasional musical humming. When they got to a crossroads they set up camp in a clearing nearby. Joseph volunteered to go and gather wood and Alistair readily joined him in venturing out into the wilderness. The two joked back and forth while gathering, mostly about Sten and his apparent inability to show any emotion other than frustrated, but Joseph did get a laugh when a bird or bat, he did not know which, flew too close to Alistair's head. The Templar nearly jumped out of his skin and dropped his bundle with a yelp, hands going up over his head as he pleaded for his hair's safety. After a few minutes of Joseph's taunting, Alistair spoke up in an attempt to guide the attention away from himself. "So, I wanted to ask your opinion about some of our...companions." He said with a casual air.

Joseph chuckled, stopping in front of a dead log and taking a seat "Gossip time I take it?"

"Well, you see, I have this nefarious plan..." Alistair started, taking a spot next to his fellow warden with a grin "I'm going to go around and tell them all the nasty things you said about them and cause a mutiny. Then I will become the group leader! Muahahaha!"

Joseph couldn't help but laugh, leaning back on the log "Look, if you want to lead all you have to do is ask, Alistair."

The Templar made a face of mock shock "ME! Lead? No, no no no. Bad things happen when I lead. We get lost, people die and the next thing you know I'm stranded somewhere, without any pants!"

"Depending on where your stranded, having no pants might not be such a bad thing."

"Maybe." chuckled Alistair "But seriously, what do you think of them?"

Joseph shrugged "We've not been together all that long at all, Sten and Leliana just joined us today and we've been with Morrigan for less than a week. You are the only one I've been with long enough to form any sort of opinion of."

Alistair nodded, rubbing the back of his neck "I guess you're right..."

"Well, what about you? Do you have opinions about them?" Joseph asked curiously, but Alistair looked suddenly unsure of himself and shrugged

"I thought I did, but after what you said I don't think I should be so quick to judge, especially of the people who are supposed to be helping us."

Joseph patted Alistair on the shoulder for what seemed like the millionth time today. The two had begun to grow closer by the minute it seemed. Perhaps it was the taint in their blood that bound them, or it was the battles they fought together. The very fact that, out of everyone, Joseph and Alistair were left. Through every obstacle that had been thrown at them in the short time they had been comrades in arms, they had been triumphant. As he looked upon his friend now in the forest, he could think of no other person he'd rather be stuck with in an all out war against the demons of their world. Joseph broke the silence between them with a smile "C'mon Alistair, they're waiting for us back at camp." He stood, picking up his bundle and waited for Alistair to do the same. Leliana greeted them warmly upon their return to camp, though she was the only one. Sten was staring so intently at the small fire they had managed to built one would think it was his glare that made the fire die down as far as it did. Morrigan, of course, had made her tent far from anyone elses and had a fire all her own blazing before it. Joseph left Alistair and Leliana to tending the fire and made his way over to the witch's resting place.

Morrigan raised an eyebrow as Joseph made his way to her, crossing her arms and flashing him a malevolent grin with her violet lips that made his heart skip a beat. "It looks like our fearless leader has decided to grace me with his presence, such an honor it is." Her voice was as velvety as ever. Why he was so enthralled with her, he had no idea, but sometimes he didn't care. He smirked, trying to act as in control as he could.

"I just thought I'd come over and give you some company, maybe get to know you a little better."

"What purpose could that possibly serve?" She asked, staring at him with a captious stare

Joseph shrugged. "None, really. I just want to know you, Morrigan. How did you grow up? What was it like living with Flemeth? Anything..."

Morrigan's grin grew wickedly and a tiny voice in the back of Joseph's mind told him to be wary while the rest of him wondered what they tasted like. "You want to hear tales of my childhood? Stories of the wilds that I lived? Or perhaps you would like to hear how my mother cast spells of love and captivated men, convinced them to her bed and murdered the fools in their blind lust? These I could tell you, if you so desire."

"Spells of...love?" Something in his head clicked when he heard that. Would she, DID she? It would certainly explain why he felt so much so soon, but at the same time he didn't want to believe it. Morrigan, however, only continued to smile.

"Ah, so you do want to hear-"

"No! No...I, um, I just remembered something." He chuckled nervously "I'll get back to you on that though." Joseph turned slowly and headed back towards the others with the Witch watching him leave, looking pleased with herself.

Alistair jumped a little when Joseph whispered in his ear "I need to talk to you." The Templar raised an eyebrow but didn't protest and followed Joseph away from the others.

"What is this about?" asked Alistair after hey had put a fair distance between themselves and the warmth of the camp fire.

"You're a Templar, right? A mage hunter?"

"Well, technically speaking, yes. Why?"

"So, you're immune to magic?"

Alistair was beginning to pick up a tinge of desperation in Joseph's voice, but he looked otherwise normal as ever. "Not immune, but we can fight it, negate it."

"So, others could learn these talents?" His voice broke character slightly when asking this question.

Alistair placed his hands on either side of Joseph and shook him "Joseph! What is the matter? Why are you asking all these questions?"

Joseph sighed, his head drooped and rested on Alistair's shoulder, causing the Templar to tense slightly. "I...It's Morrigan." Alistair eased up after hearing Joseph speak, looking down at the back of his head. "I think she may have cast a spell on me," he continued softly as he raised his head "I don't want to believe it, but it's a possibility, please Alistair...help me?" Immediately there was a wave of soft light that flowed from the Templar, but Joseph didn't feel any different. He looked up at Alistair with a puzzled stare.

"There, that should take care of any hexes or the like. Feel any different?" He asked while managing to sound as if this were an every day occurrence

"N-no...still feel the same." Joseph let out a sigh of relief. Morrigan was only trying to scare him, it seemed. It worked, obviously, but he put that from his mind for now. "So, can you teach me?"

Alistair raised an eyebrow "You still want to learn?" Joseph quickly nodded, his eyes had gone slightly wider with silent pleading. The Templar chuckled and shrugged "Well, I guess I could. The Chantry doesn't usually let their Templars get away or reveal their secrets. I'm the exception. Lucky me." He grinned when Joseph laughed at his joke and clapped his hands together "Alright! Starting tonight, you are my Templar apprentice! Rule one: Discipline..."


	5. The royal bastard

_**Disclaimer:** All Dragon Age:Origins characters, scenarios, locations, and dialog belongs to EA and/Bioware and are in no way mine._

_**Author's Note:** This one took me a while, mostly because it got deleted halfway through the first writing, though I feel it's a bit short for the time it took me to write it. This chapter sort of delves into the way that Joseph felt about his life as a noble and the suspicions from previous chapters. I also felt that Alistair did not react as strongly as I think he should have to the situation of Redcliffe, all things considered. He is a passionate young man to say the least, and he did live there for the first ten years of his life, stable boy or no. I hope you enjoy this chapter. :D  
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The next couple days were uneventful, for the most part. Joseph had decided to go to Redcliffe first and seek out Arl Eamon. Being a noble himself, he knew the importance of information and how powerful knowledge over your enemy could be. If Eamon would indeed be on their side as Alistair claimed, it would be an incredible foothold in their private war against Loghain's attempts to capture them. Not to mention a safe place to which they could return and plot their next course of action in relative peace. Following his announcement of his plan Alistair's mood had taken a freakish turn towards the better. He was so bubbly the first day it nearly made Joseph sick and he contemplated thrusting his fist at the back of his friend's head. He did, however, resist the temptation as to practice discipline even though he knew doing it might well have put him in Morrigan's good graces as well. Though a talk with Alistair shortly after they made camp for the night lessened his bright attitude, though his smile did not get smaller.

Further attempts to talk to Morrigan not only ended mostly in frustration but more acidic responses from her. Joseph was considering giving up for the most part and seriously started to wonder what was wrong with his brain. For all accounts, he could not see what he saw in the woman. She was mean, insensitive, and seemed to enjoy nothing more than to insult everyone else in a not-so-subtle fashion. Her arguments with Alistair had started to take a turn for the worse and had even gotten out of hand when she managed to cause the Templar to loose his temper. Joseph had to hold Alistair's wrist to keep him from drawing his blade on one occasion and had barley managed to do so, surprised that how strong he was when angered. For the rest of that day Alistair refused to speak period until he and Joseph broke from the camp at night to train.

Joseph found he quite enjoyed studying the Templar arts and found the time spent meditating quite relaxing. He and Alistair could go hours without being interrupted under the night sky, except for one case where they heard Leliana giggling from the bushes not far from them, watching a pair of shirtless men sit still for an hour or so. Joseph smirked and puffed out his chest before closing his eyes and continuing. Alistair blushed and crossed his arms over his nipples. Though retribution was not far for the two wardens and came swiftly the next day. Leliana had suggested that everyone of the same gender go bathing at the same time because it would be safer. To his surprise, Morrigan and Sten both quickly agreed this was a good idea and the men made their way to the river that was nearby. Alistair had insisted on wasting a dry-cloth to get into the water without much of himself being seen, but in the end had to ask Joseph for his own to dry off with, which Joe would not give him until he dropped his wet dry-cloth and stand blatantly exposed before he handed it over. "Next time, just suck it up and leave your cloth on the bank." He told him. Alistair only glared daggers and blushed in silence.

Though when it was Leliana's and Morrigan's turn, Joseph got an idea. After the two had left for the river with Dog, he reached over and pulled Alistair aside while he was packing up his tent. "What? What!" exclaimed the Templar, who frowned when he saw the smile that shone back at him.

"Want to go peek on the women?" Joseph asked, jerking a thumb back in the direction of the river.

Alistair's mouth dropped and he acted appalled, but his face had turned bright red almost instantly. "WHAT! That is not...we shouldn't...you're a bad man!"

"Oh c'moooon! We'll be careful, they'll never know." said Joe with a smirk, already ideas were popping up in his head.

The Templar shook his head vigorously and bent back over his pack "No! No I will not partake. And you shouldn't either!"

Joseph merely shrugged with a "Suit yourself." It did not take him long to find them and, as he expected, they were at least ten feet apart, if not more and facing opposite directions. His eyes only lingered on Leliana for half a second, who seemed to be singing softly, he couldn't hear her. Sure she was beautiful in her own way, but for whatever reason he could hardly pay her any mind. His gaze quickly moved to Morrigan. She was waist deep in the water, facing away from him and yelling at the dog while pointing at Leliana. He assumed Dog liked Morrigan as much as he did and had insisted on splashing around her. Even from behind, he was enthralled by her beauty and found he could not stop staring until he was brought out of his trance by a rustle a few feet away from him. He caught a glimpse of Morrigan turning to look into the forest before he turned himself and headed quietly into the brush, towards the sound with his hand on his blade. To his surprise, and at the same time not at all to it, he found Alistair sprawled on his back in his normal clothing, still as a stone and staring up at his fellow warden in terror. "I just...I...!" he started in whispers but Joseph quickly moved down and covered Alistair's mouth with a hand and held up a finger to his mouth with the other. Joseph turned and found a vantage point in the trees where he could see Morrigan still looking into the forest, though in a different direction than they were. He took a moment to memorize this image before picking Alistair up by the arm and leading him out of the brush towards camp.

"You little pervert." Joseph teased as soon as they got back, patting his friend on the back.

This accusation caused Alistair to sputter and blush lividly "I was...but you...I went looking for you!" Joseph only laughed and gave him a 'Suuuure you were' look. "I don't see why we have to take baths anyway..." said the Templar, who had resorted to crossing his arms and making a pouty face.

"Because, dear Alistair," started Joseph,"As long as I'm leading us, we make an effort to keep up personal hygiene. Not only will it lesson the chance that one of us will fall ill and spread it to the rest of us, but it is a lot easier on the nose." He could only chuckle as he watched the blonde warden search for words to argue back with, only to come up empty handed and stomp back to his tent with a sigh. As he watched him go, Joseph couldn't help but wonder why his father, if it was his father, which at this point he was almost certain Alistair's father was Bryce, would find anything interesting in a scullery maid, in Redcliffe, no less. But the more he thought about it the more he realized he had never seen his parents share much of an intimate moment. Not so much as a hug or kiss that wasn't just for public air, not until that night in the larder when he left the two to their fate. Could it be possible Bryce had a fling with some maid? By the similarities between himself and Alistair, Joseph was starting to believe it was true.

He dropped out of his train of thought with the return of the women. Joseph all but stared as Morrigan strode by, busying herself with her wet locks of dark brown hair, her violet eye shadow strangely still in place. He idly wondered if her skin had been dyed that color. A tap on his shoulder almost made him jump, apparently unaware that anyone but he and Morrigan existed at the time. Leliana giggled at him, holding up a strip of leather that he recognized. "I found this on the river bank, is it your's?" Her Orlisian accent making her 'i's sound elongated.

"Oh, ah, yes. Thank you, Leliana." Joseph took the belt from her, rubbing the back of his neck.

"You are quite welcome." Leliana gave a small bow and left the warden to watch her skip away to her tent, collecting her things to the tune of a joyful song. He tilted his head a little, staring at her despite himself. He supposed she wasn't bad, fairly easy on the eyes and a voice much softer than most, like honey. He shook the thoughts from his mind quickly. It was bad enough he was constantly thinking about an apostate, he didn't need impure thoughts about a chantry sister as well.

It took them three more days before Redcliffe was in site over the hills. It didn't help that they took a wrong turn and had been traveling in the opposite direction for half a day thanks to a map read wrong. Alistair was the one that finally spoke up, announcing that he was under the impression that they wanted to go to Redcliffe first. After a quick argument between the wardens over who was correct, Joseph checked the map again. Having realized his blunder, Alistair was finally given a chance to poke fun at the Cousland. However, the closer they got to Redcliffe, the quieter the Templar became, far less likely to think out loud as he stared at the landscape. While most of their traveling party probably reveled in this, it made Joseph worry about him just a little bit more. When they walked just passed the Inn that sat at the top of the cliffs before entering the small town, Alistair let out a loud groan and called for the company to halt for a time. "Can we, talk?" he asked in a low whisper, leaning in and hoping only Joseph was listening.

"Now?" Joe was confused, what did he want to talk about -now-, of all times. They were in camp not a few hours ago, he couldn't bother then?

"Yes, now. I have something to tell you, I probably should have told you sooner..." His voice was nervous, which caused the brunettes' worry to increase, but offered a reassuring smile.

"Yea, alright, what's on your mind?"

"You remember how I told you that Arl Eamon raised me right? That my mother was a serving girl at the castle and he took me in?"

Joseph's insides did a back flip as he nodded slowly. 'The timing is hardly appropriate, but...' he thought. All this time wondering and here he was about to get a confirmation, or something akin to it.

Alistair took a deep breath before he continuing "The reason he did that was because...Well, because my father was King Maric. Which would make Cailan my, half-brother, I suppose." The blonde hung his head slightly as if ashamed, while the man standing in front of him stared wide-eyed. All thoughts of his father being unfaithful went out the window, to his relief, but a whole new scenario presented itself. Alistair was a prince! Not only that, but because of the death of his brother, currently the rightful King. Though it still brought up the question of why they looked so alike, but he put that aside as a freak of nature for now.

"So, you're not only a bastard..." Joseph started, a smirk creeping up on him "...but a -royal- bastard."

He was glad to see Alistair's expression brighten considerably, and even a laugh "Ha! I guess I am at that. I should use that line more often." The blonde rubbed the back of his neck as he seemed to slip back into a somber demeanor. "I would have told you, but it never really meant anything to me. I was inconvenient, a possible threat to Cailan's rule and so they kept me secret..."

'Secret indeed, as a weapon...' Joseph resisted the urge to frown. Living as he did in Castle Cousland, he was well aware how nobles worked. It was likely Eamon kept Alistair close to use him as a gateway to the throne or a back-up plan if Cailan never produced an heir. He never really knew much about the Arl of Redcliffe, they had only met on a few occasions, from what he could tell he was a decent enough sort. But he also remembered how many people put on airs and that some were fanatically better at it than others. He'd have to be careful here in Redcliffe.

Alistair's voice seemed to get louder, as if he was getting more comfortable talking about it. "I never told anyone before. Everyone who knew either resented me for it or they coddled me. Even Duncan kept me out of the fighting because of it. I didn't want you to know as long as possible..." He hung his head again "I'm sorry."

Joseph sighed despite himself, his frown finally finding itself made real on his face. He knew just how Alistair felt, strangely enough. Back when he was much younger he would sneak away from the castle and play with the local commoner children. At first it went well, all fun and games, until someone recognized him. He would either be shunned, or they would let him win. The way people treated him just because of his last name and blood made him resent his title. He had tried to find any way possible to get out of noble duties and look even less so, much to his mother's frustration and, at times, his father's amusement. He would show up to important dinner meetings covered in mud or in commoner's clothing and, once, none at all, proclaiming Dog had run off with his things. And now he stood face to face with someone in a similar situation who felt everything he once had, if not more than Joseph himself. He smiled then and nodded once more "I understand."

Alistair looked up in shock, though a smile quickly broke on his face in relief "Oh good! I'm glad," a sigh "It's not like I got special treatment for it anyhow. At any rate, that's it. That's what I had to tell you. I thought you should know about it."

The speed in which Alistair said that last bit of information caused Joseph to chuckle. He crossed his arms and raised an eyebrow in mock skepticism. "Are you sure? Not hiding anything else are we?"

"Besides an unholy love of fine cheeses and a minor obsession with my hair, no. That's it, just the Prince thing." chuckled Alistair.

"So I should be calling you Prince Alistair, from now on?" Joseph goaded

"NO! No. The last thing I want is for you to treat me differently, or the people around us for that matter. I have no illusions about my status. It was made very clear that I am a commoner and now a Grey Warden. In no way am I in line for the throne," said Alistair," And that's fine by me. No, if there's a heir to be found it's Arl Eamon himself. He's not of royal blood, but he is Cailan's uncle and, more importantly, very popular with the people. Anyway," for a second time he paused, a smile on his face that eased Joseph's worries "So there you have it, now can we move on? And I'll just pretend you think I'm some nobody who was too lucky to die with the rest of the Grey Wardens."

Joe frowned at this, staring at the blonde sympathetically "That's not really what you think, is it?"

"Well, no." The Templar smiled a little wider "What I really think is that I was lucky enough to survive with you." He turned on heel, heading down the slope that lead to the rest of Redcliffe, leaving his raven haired friend to stand there looking bewildered. Though he recovered quickly, shaking his ebon coated head and chuckling before following Alistair and motioning for the rest to do the same. Not long after that, however, they were happened upon by a rather distressed looking villager carrying weapons. Joseph thought this was odd, but before he could question him, the man spoke up.

"Thank the Maker! Have you come to help us?" He seemed eager, the emotion of hope painted all over his face. It looked like he hadn't slept in days, dark bags under his eyes which themselves were bloodshot.

Joseph raised an eyebrow, something wasn't right. "What do you mean? Is there a problem?"

"So you...don't know?" the man asked, the vision of hope he wore soon drained from his face "Has no one out there heard?"

"What are you talking about? Heard what?" asked the warden

"We're under attack. Monsters come out of the castle every night and attack us till dawn. Everyone's been fighting, and dying." the man replied, his head hanging low. "We've no army to defend us, and no arl or king to send help. So many are dead, and those left are terrified they're next."

Alistair moved forward suddenly and focused a worried gaze on the villager "What to do you mean, 'No Arl'? Where is Arl Eamon?"

"No one has heard from the castle in days, he could be dead for all we know..." Said the man, looking a bit frightened of Alistair at the moment, it didn't help his image when the Templar continued with a stern look.

"It would seem everyone decides that the Blight is the best time to start killing each other. How marvelous!" Came a quip from Morrigan behind them. She sounded just a little too amused at the situation, but Alistair ignored her.

"Hold on, what's this evil that's attacking you?"

"I-I don't rightly know, I'm sorry...Nobody does." said the man timidly.

Joseph sighed and attempted to get the blonde's attention "Alistair, calm down..."

"I should take you to Bann Teagan. He's all that's holding us together. He'll want to see you." The man interrupted, apparently hopeful that would get the angry Templar to cool down.

Alistair did seem to calm a bit, but looked every just as eager as before "Bann Teagan? Arl Eamon's brother? He's here?"

The villager nodded quickly and started walking backwards as he explained "Yes! It's not far, I'll take you there." That said, the man turned around and started walking briskly down the slopes leading to the rest of the town. They followed briskly, Alistair at their head with a look of determination. In town Joseph could see that the man had not been lying. The people of Redcliffe looked solemn and haggard, piling the dead near the docks or tending to the wounded. The man lead them past all this, towards and into the Chantry. Inside there were the worst of the wounded and the people who couldn't fight; children praying in a circle instead of playing outside, wives mourning lost husbands, and at the very end of the hall stood a man in fine clothing. Joseph assumed this man to be Bann Teagan, as he had never met the man before that he knew of, but compared to the rest of the people in the building, he could easily be spotted as nobility.

"Ah, Tomas...was it?" Asked Teagan as they came to a halt before him. "And who are these people with you? They obviously not simple travelers."

"No my lord. They just arrived," Tomas looked back at the bunch nervously," I thought you would want to see them."

Teagan nodded in approval and dismissed Tomas with a smile before turning to the group. "Greetings, friends. My name is Teagan, Bann of Rainsfere, and brother to the arl."

"I remember you, Bann Teagan." Said Alistair, smiling slightly,"Though the last time we met I was a lot younger...and covered in mud."

"Covered in mud?" At first it looked like the blonde had confused Teagan, but Joseph could almost see the light bulb over his head light up. "Alistair? It is you, isn't it? You're alive! This is wonderful news!"

The Templar chuckled "Still alive, yes. Though not for long if Loghain has anything to say about it."

"Indeed, Loghain would have us all believe all Grey Wardens died with along with my nephew, amongst other things." said Teagan with a look of distaste on his visage.

"You don't believe Loghain's lies?" Joseph asked, skeptical at first. Though anything bad he might have thought of Teagan at fist was wiped away with the acid glare the noble wore when he answered.

"What, that he pooled his men in order to save them? That Cailan risked everything in the name of glory? Hardly." He scoffed "Loghain calls the Grey Wardens traitors, murderers of the King. I don't believe it. It is an act of a desperate man," he paused to look at Joseph, raising an eyebrow "So, are you a Grey Warden too? Is it possible we met? You seem very familiar."

Joseph blinked, surprised at being addressed. "Oh, um. You may have known my father, Teyrn Cousland." He was slightly confused, because he was sure he had never met Bann Teagan. Or, at least he thought he hadn't. Apparently he had, for Teagan's expression lit up immediately.

"Ah! Yes, that's it exactly. Joseph, yes? A pleasure meeting you again, though I wish it was under better circumstances." Teagan gave an apologetic nod and addressed the group as a whole "You are here to see my brother? Unfortunately, that might be a problem. Eamon is gravely ill." Joseph could almost hear Alistair's eyes widen with worry. "No one has heard from the castle in days, no guards patrol the walls and no one has responded to my shouts. The attacks started a few nights ago. Evil...things...surged from the castle. We drove them off, but many perished in the battle."

"Evil...things?" Joseph asked curiously.

Teagan took a deep breath and nodded "Some call them the walking dead. Decomposing corpses returning to life with a hunger for human flesh...They hit again the next night. Each night they return, and with greater numbers. With Cailan gone and Loghain starting a war for the throne, no one responds to my urgent calls for help. Alistair...," he turned to the Templar once more with a pleading face,"I hate to ask you, but I desperately need the aid of you and your friends."

"It isn't just up to me..." said Alistair, giving Joseph a pleading look. The latter didn't think twice before nodding and looking back at Teagan.

"Of course we'll help."

The Bann of Rainsfere's face brightened again as he sighed with relief "Thank you! Thank you, this... means more to me than you can guess. You there!" At his command another one of the villagers trodded up and looked at Teagan expectantly. "Go to Murdock and tell him of our new hands." The villager nodded and promptly left the chantry. "Now then, there is much to do before night falls. I put two men in charge of the defense outside. Murdock, the village mayor, is outside the Chantry. Ser Perth, one of Eamon's knights, is up the hill next to the windmill, watching the castle. You should discuss with them the preparations for the coming battle."

"We're on our way." Joseph and Alistair both bowed to Teagan and turned, only to find Sten standing directly behind the brunette and staring down at him with a scowl.

"This is foolish, we don't have time to be saving villages." It was the first full sentence he had spoken since they freed him from his cage. Joseph had to take a moment to register what he heard before he could retaliate.

"Sten, if there's a chance to save the Arl, we have to try. We won't make much headway without him." He said, crossing his arms and trying to look as intimidating as possible.

Much to his surprise, Sten nodded "Mm, perhaps," was all he said and stepped aside to let Joseph pass. The group soon found that the village needed more tending to than Bann Teagan let on. The Blacksmith was apparently throwing a hissy fit and was holding himself up in his smithy, the knights of Redcliffe were low on moral and the townsfolk who offered to fight were left without proper weapons or armor. Joseph suggested they all split up and do what they could before night came. He sent Leliana to give the knights some sort of blessing from the chantry to boost their spirits and asked Sten to deal with the blacksmith. He even managed to convince Morrigan to make some poultices for the injured. He and Alistair had spent most of the day teaching the townsfolk how to fight and helping them build more barricades around the chantry. Joseph always did enjoy manual labor, it helped him to forget the day's events and what was expected of him. There was just him, and his work, it made things simple. It also helped him keep his physique up, which he was always proud of. He figured it was the one defining quality he had from being a noble, he looked good and he knew it.

Both Joseph and Alistair had removed their armor and shirts as they worked, the heat from the labor adding to the sun baring down on them. For the cold, gloomy country that Ferelden was, Redcliffe itself seemed to be abnormally bright and sunny. The maiden carrying the water for those who were working stopped by him and asked if he cared for a drink. Joseph smirked and took the ladle, pouring the water over his head and shaking his hair. He got a sort of satisfaction out of it seeing the girl blush slightly as he put the ladle back and hurry off towards the others. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Morrigan was watching him, or if not watching, at least looking in his general direction. He flexed as subtlety as he could manage as he went back to work.

After several hours of building the fortifications Joseph and the other's found their way back to Murdock. Apparently Sten had been successful in his persuasions as the villagers were now wearing armor and carrying various weapons. Joseph and Alistair had also redonned their armor and awaited orders from the Mayor. It was his wish that the wardens and his companions head up to Ser Perth and the other knights near the Windmill to head off the undead horde that would spill from the castle in a few hours. Joseph nodded in understanding and turned his company around to head back up the hills, much to Morrigan's chagrin. On the way, up Alistair clapped him on the shoulder with a grin. "You ready to save the day?"

Joseph grinned back and shook his head "The day is over. This is the night we venture into."

The blonde chuckled and shook his head "Always with the technicalities. Just answer the question."

Joseph looked ahead, watching Morrigan walk in front of him. His grin melted into a soft smile as he watched the sway in her hips "Yea, Alistair. I'm ready to protect this place, and all the people in it."


End file.
